"Breaking news, the United Kingdom was rocked earlier this morning as the Hereford military base suffered from catastrophic explosions that have decimated its facilities. We've been told that the explosions were caused by tragic misuse of explosive ordnance being transported across the base. However, local witnesses state that they not only heard explosions but also gunfire." the news lady read.
The TV was on a stool behind the counter where the owner sat, waiting for the occasional customer. He'd watch the TV for what seemed like hours on end, muting it when the bell rang as someone would come in. Rarely does he watch the news, but while switching to a French drama he enjoys watching, which also takes his mind off smoking so as to appease his wife, he came across the news channel and caught a glimpse of the burning base and soldiers and firefighters rushing to take out the flames. This caught the old man's attention.
The door to the shop opened and the old man looked above the TV to see who it was, expecting it to be his wife or grandchild, but it was a new face.
"Good evening, shopkeep. I hope I'm not interrupting anything." he points to the TV.
"No, no, of course not. Are you from America?"
"Yes, you've great English, where'd you learn it from?"
"Ah, my father learnt it from the Americans during WW2 and he taught it to me, from there I learned more myself."
"Well, I'm rather embarrassed that you're speaking my language while I can barely speak yours. So forgive me for forcing you to speak a foreign language, I was going to brush up on my French but I didn't have much time as this business trip was rather sudden."
"Oh, no, no, no, monsieur, it is alright. You needn't be upset, I have no problem speaking English, it's just more practice, is it not? And besides, it has been years since I last spoke it. There was some other American here years ago. He was a quiet, stoic man. He'd always shop here and was a breath of fresh air from the other, usual customers. Anyways, feel free to look around my American friend."
"Much obliged. Say, what are you watching on the TV? I just noticed that you muted it while I walked in, so I assumed it was something private or the like."
"It's nothing, I just wanted to divert all my attention to the customer," he says while turning the TV around.
The customer leaned over the counter and saw Hereford base.
"The news, eh? Hereford base… Hmm, interesting. I hope nothing serious happened there."
"Nowadays, everything is serious."
"True, true. Well, uh, I'd like to, you know, buy something here to not only satisfy my needs, but also to help you out too of course, but I was going around town, just asking around for some information, and I was wondering if you could help me out. I just need some answers. Since you're a local and all that, you know the area better than any foreign news outlet or whatnot, right?"
"I suppose so, what is it you wanted to know?"
"Well firstly, how much are these?" he lifts up some French candy and smiles, "I love these. And the other thing. A few years ago, I remember hearing about a church nearby, maybe even down the street, that erupted in flames. Some freak accident, plenty said. Funny thing is, I think that American you mentioned was an old buddy, an old pal of mine, that went, uh, missing some years back around the time the old church went away. I was hoping you could shed some light on this situation."
The old man leaned back in his chair and looked up into the ceiling and sighed, scratching his head, "Monsieur, I wish that night had never ended in disaster, for I remember it very well. Your friend, the American I spoke of, could you describe him to me?"
"Well, I'm not sure what he looked like back when you knew him, but I remember he sported a great mustache, was tall, rather muscular too, though you couldn't tell underneath his clothes, brown eyes, and a certain… aura of mystery that surrounded him. He was always quiet, but he could be, at certain times, rather upfront."
"It seems like you know him well, it also looks like this really is the same man I met. I will never forget him."
"Walker, that was his name, right? At least, the one he gave you?"
"Yes, does he go under another?"
"Ha, not that I know of. So, tell me about that fateful night, yeah?"
"Yes, of course, I'll tell you everything you need to know, Mr…"
"Call me Adrian." he smiled and shook his hand.
Hereford Base"ETA five minutes to Hereford." the helicopter pilot said to his passengers behind him.
"Hear that, Walker? Excited? Walker?" Twitch asked.
Walker ignored Twitch as he pretended to fall asleep.
The guards chuckled but stopped when Twitch looked over at them with a steel gaze.
She looked back at Walker and said, "You're a good soldier, but not a very good person, are you?"
Walker yawned and opened his eyes, "You're not the first to say that, but at least you said it in a nicer tone. I just wish you would have let me have some shuteye during this trip. But of course one of you French dolts had to ask her about her drone, her amazing, unstoppable, super drone."
"It is a marvel of engineering, I'll have you know."
"Yeah, until it gets shot, which is, by my guess, what happens all the time?"
"I'm working on a-"
"Bulletproof drone?"
"Yes, I-"
"I also want to add a tiny shotgun to it?"
"No, I-"
"Then it's stupid. Shooting a microscopic taser at things won't do anything, now will it? Cameras, gadgets, all that can be taken out by one bullet or by an EMP."
"You are so arrogant! Do you not see the-"
"Uses of what is basically a remote control toy that gives people static shocks?"
Though the helicopter was loud, the inhabitants inside fell dead silent, and Walker and Twitch stared each other down.
"Relax, I'm just giving you a hard time. Ha, I thought you'd get the joke, since that's what you do often, make jokes."
Twitch stared at him.
"The drones I mean."
"Yeah… yeah I know."
"Good."
"Say, Walker…"
"Hmm?"
"Well, I was just wondering, if you're so high and mighty, why weren't you able to protect Charlotte?"
Walker stared at her silently, his gaze piercing into her soul. He quickly changed the subject and pointed at the window, "looks like we're here."
Twitch looked out the window, "it seems so." she said.
The door slid open and Walker and Twitch, along with the security detail, walked off the helicopter pad.
"This place has seen better days, I think." Walker commented
"Before your old friends renovated it, yeah." Twitch said, putting on a backpack.
"More like acquaintances of acquaintances." Walker replied.
"You'll like it here, Walker, though…"
"Though you'll be under our watch and locked in what rooms we have left." Zero walked up from behind them, "Doc let me know what was up, I'm assuming you're the guy she mentioned?"
"That'd be me."
"You don't look like much. But in this business, I guess that means you know what you're doing. I'll handle him from here, Twitch,"
"Alright, I'll see you later, Walker. I'll introduce to you some of my friends later, yeah?"
Zero took Walker to an interrogation room, along the way they made some small talk, Zero tried getting a little info out of him, but being the experienced veteran he is, he could immediately tell that Walker wasn't going to reveal much about himself. So he left it at that and locked him in the room.
Walker didn't care. Now that he was by himself, he could relax and take a breather. There was finally some peace and quiet.
"Well look at you! Working with these dolts, maybe you're finally learning how to make friends, huh? Not as shy as you used to be, right?" Venus said, sitting in the chair in front of him with her boots on the table.
Walker opened his eyes and saw the hallucination and sighed. He didn't want to reply to it or make eye contact at all, as he didn't want anyone that could be watching him right now to think he was crazy.
"What? The silent treatment? Boy, does that bring back some memories. That won't stop me from talking to you though. It gets often boring in that empty head of yours. I have to come out sometimes, right? To socialize with other people. And by that I mean just you."
Walker said nothing.
"Oh c'mon, you could at least say hi. After all, I'm just keeping my promise to you, remember? It was a little bit ago, but it was before you ended my life that I said to you that I'd stay with you forever. Or was it to haunt you forever? I sometimes forget. Oh? I wonder who's coming in?"
The door creaked open and Twitch poked her head through the gap, "Miss me?"
"I don't think so, but come in anyway like I know you're going to."
Twitch entered the room and closed the door behind her and sat in front of him, "So, let's start, shall we?"
"The interrogation you mean?"
"More like a conversation between two best friends. Plus, if this really was an interrogation, I'd have called in one of my friends to squeeze the info right out of you."
"Scary."
"You haven't seen anything yet. Anyways, before we delve into the important stuff, I'd like to know one thing…"
"Don't."
"What's your problem with my drone? You've never seen it in action!"
"I don't need to."
"Well too bad, because I've got it right here!" she pulls out the drone from a little satchel on her hip.
Walker leaned back in his chair and looked to the blinding light in the ceiling, his humanity and emotion fading from his face.
Twitch put the drone on the table and began spinning it in circles and doing cool tricks with it, "see? What other drone could do this? Vroom, vroom!"
Maybe he really was being interrogated and this was the torture method.
He looked down from the ceiling and looked at Twitch playing with her stupid drone, when his eyes adjusted from looking at the bright light, he could see her with more clarity than ever before.
"I knew someone like you, a person I knew years ago who was real good with technology. He never liked it when ya made fun of his toys, but he and everyone else knew his gadgets had saved us more than a few times. I wonder where he is now. You could probably learn a thing or two from him. Actually, for you, a lot."
Twitch stopped doing donuts with the drone and looked at Walker, "you don't think highly of me, do you?"
"Not with that piece of shit on the table. Anyways, let's get this started, what'd you want to know?"
Twitch frowned and put her drone off the table and sighed, "for starters, who are the White Masks?"
"You tell me, let me hear what you guys know first so I can fill in the gaps, I wouldn't want to be saying anything you already know about."
"They're a terrorist organization with military grade weapons and gear that attacked Bartlett University years ago."
"And that's all there is to it."
"What?"
"I'd tell you more, but with all these hidden cameras around and audio devices, on you and under this table, I feel like I'd get dumped the second you guys are finished recording this little interview. Plus, I know there's an audience outside just loving this."
"Walker, I assure you, there's no need to be this cautious, besides, we're all friends here, no?"
"Oh? So you wouldn't mind if I walk out right now, yeah? I mean, I haven't eaten in forever, and I'm sure this place has some vending machines, right?"
Walker got up from his chair and opened the door leading out of the room and saw several renowned operators staring right back at him, he looked back at Twitch and waved her off and to the others and closed the door and walked down the hallway.
Twitch groaned and got back up and tried following him.
She caught up with Walker and asked, "What are your demands?"
"Oh, funny you should ask. I promise I'll tell you literally everything there is to know, but only after you guys feed me some GOOD food, and," he stopped and looked at her, "if you take me to the big man himself, the director of this little party."
"Walker please that's-."
"Ridiculous? No, it's necessary."
Twitch sighed, "Ok, fine. I'll see what I can do, but he's a very busy man! Don't make a face if I can't set up an appointment."